New Criminal Code Provides Strong Legal Basis for Tackling Land Cases: Bamsoet

House of Representatives (DPR RI) member Bambang Soesatyo has assessed that the new Criminal Code (KUHP) provides a strong legal foundation for prosecuting land cases, such as document forgery and the practice of inserting false statements into official documents. “Although it does not specifically use the term land mafia, various articles concerning document forgery, falsification of authentic deeds, and false statements in authentic deeds can be effective instruments to ensnare perpetrators who have been exploiting land administration loopholes,” he said, as quoted from a statement received in Jakarta on Sunday. The former Speaker of the DPR RI, familiarly known as Bamsoet, revealed that one of the biggest challenges in eradicating land mafia is the perpetrators’ ability to disguise criminal acts through documents that appear formally legitimate. This condition makes the evidentiary process far more complicated because law enforcement officers must dismantle the chain of events from the initial stage of document issuance. Therefore, in his view, eradicating the land mafia must employ a ‘follow the document’ and ‘follow the benefit’ approach. This means law enforcement officers must not only examine the documents used in transactions but must also trace who gained the greatest benefit from such practices. “Law enforcement must be able to reach intellectual actors and parties who enjoy the proceeds of crime. The land mafia will never truly disappear if only field operatives are processed, while the main controllers and parties enjoying the greatest profits remain free,” he stated. “Law enforcement against the land mafia must be carried out in an integrated manner. Prosecuting perpetrators is important, but what is more important is ensuring that victims’ rights can be restored and the status of problematic land can be returned to its proper legal state,” he said. Furthermore, according to him, the digitalisation of land services, integration of population data, multi-layered verification systems, use of geospatial technology, land blockchain, and the utilisation of artificial intelligence to detect document anomalies can be important instruments to close vulnerable points in land mafia practices. These steps will strengthen the government’s efforts to realise a land system that is transparent, accountable, and capable of providing maximum protection for the people’s rights. “The government must be able to ensure that every inch of land owned by the people is protected by strong legal certainty and cannot be easily seized through document manipulation or abuse of authority,” he said.